Sewing machine

ABSTRACT

A sewing machine includes sewing means having cloth feeding means for feeding a cloth in a front and rear direction and needle oscillating means for oscillating a needle in a right and left direction, driving means for separately driving the cloth feeding means and the needle oscillating means, pattern storing means for storing a plurality of pattern data on sewing patterns to be formed by the sewing means, and control means including calculating means for randomly combining the plurality of pattern data stored in the pattern storing means to create sewing data. The control means controls the driving means based on the sewing data. The sewing machine creates an irregular combination pattern with complicatedness being suppressed in a selection of the sewing patterns.

The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-002543 filed on Jan. 10, 2006, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a sewing machine which combines a plurality of sewing patterns to form stitches.

2. Description of the Related Art

There has been a sewing machine in which a plurality of sewing patterns is stored in advance, and the sewing machine combines a plurality of sewing patterns that is selected by a user from the stored sewing patterns, thereby carrying out a sewing operation (see, e.g., JP-A-2003-71167).

Moreover, there has been a sewing machine which varies a position of arranging a sewing pattern to form stitches when carrying out a sewing operation called a practical sewing through a feeding operation of a feed dog and a needle oscillating motion of a needle (see, e.g., JP-A-5-49770).

Furthermore, there has been a sewing machine which selectively combines letters or a single sewing pattern to carry out a sewing operation (see, e.g., JP-A-2004-290435).

In the above described sewing machines, users specify each sewing pattern according to their taste when selecting a plurality of sewing patterns. However, a combination of such sewing patterns is rather monotonous. Therefore, the above described sewing machines could not fulfill the needs of users who are unsatisfied with a sewing operation with a monotonous combination or order of sewing patterns.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to enable a creation of a combination pattern that is unpredictable for a user and to increase a variation in a pattern sewing without requiring complicatedness in a selection of a sewing pattern.

According to a first aspect of the invention, a sewing machine includes sewing means having cloth feeding means for feeding a cloth in a front and rear direction and needle oscillating means for oscillating a needle in a right and left direction, driving means for separately driving the cloth feeding means and the needle oscillating means, pattern storing means for storing a plurality of pattern data on sewing patterns to be formed by the sewing means, and control means including calculating means for randomly combining the plurality of pattern data stored in the pattern storing means to create sewing data. The control means controls the driving means based on the sewing data.

According to a second aspect of the invention, the pattern storing means includes a first storing portion in which the plurality of pattern data is stored in advance, and a second storing portion in which a plurality of pattern data selected from the first storing means is stored. The calculating means randomly combines the plurality of pattern data stored in the second storing portion to create the sewing data.

According to a third aspect of the invention, the calculating means determines the combination of the plurality of pattern data through a random number calculation.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, the control means further includes frequency calculating means for randomly determining repetitive frequencies of the respective sewing patterns, each sewing pattern corresponding to the respective pattern data combined by the calculating means.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, the frequency calculating means determines the repetitive frequencies of the respective sewing patterns through a random number calculation.

According to a sixth aspect of the invention, a reference line position where a sewing starts and a reference line position where the sewing ends substantially coincide with each other with respect to a needle oscillating direction in each of the sewing patterns. The control means controls the driving means such that the sewing pattern is switched to the subsequent sewing pattern at the reference line position where the sewing ends.

According to one or more aspects of the invention, when a sewing start instruction is input, the plurality of pattern data stored in the pattern storing means is randomly combined and the sewing data is created. A sewing operation is performed while the sewing pattern is switched on the basis of the sewing data. Accordingly, a combination pattern with a design that has no relation to an intention of a user is created. Therefore, such complicatedness that the user selects the sewing pattern can be eliminated. Furthermore, the design is not monotonous, whereby a combination pattern having a design that is unpredictable for the user can be obtained.

According to one or more aspects of the invention, it is possible to select pattern data that correspond to desirable sewing patterns from a previously stored pattern data and store them in the second storing portion, whereby the pattern data thus selected can be randomly combined.

According to one or more aspects of the invention, it is possible to randomly combine the pattern data easily through the random number calculation.

According to one or more aspects of the invention, the repetitive frequencies of respective sewing patterns can also be determined randomly. Therefore, it is possible to make a combination that is more complicated.

According to one or more aspects of the invention, when the sewing start instruction is input, pattern data stored are randomly read from the plurality of pattern data stored in the pattern storing means one by one at predetermined timings. Based on the pattern data thus read, the sewing operation is performed while the sewing pattern is switched. Therefore, a combination pattern with a design having no relation to an intention of a user can be created. Therefore, such complicatedness that the user selects the sewing pattern can be eliminated, and the design can be prevented from being monotonous.

Sometimes, the reference line position where the sewing ends in the sewing pattern before switching does not coincide with the reference line position where the sewing starts in the sewing pattern after the switching. In such cases, some negative effects may be caused, for example, an extra crossover thread or a clearance may be formed on a boundary between the sewing pattern before the switching and the sewing pattern at the sewing end or a joint does not match properly. According to one or more aspects of the invention, however, in each of the sewing patterns, the reference line position where the sewing starts and the reference line position where the sewing ends coincide with or approximate to (substantially coincide with) each other in the needle oscillating direction. Namely, the sewing pattern is switched to the subsequent sewing pattern is at the reference line position where the sewing ends. Therefore, the boundaries of the sewing patterns are smoothly connected to each other, whereby a combination pattern having a good appearance can be created.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a control structure of a sewing machine according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view illustrating an example of a display screen of an operation panel provided in the sewing machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of pattern data to be used in the sewing machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a normal program to be executed in the sewing machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a random program to be executed in the sewing machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view illustrating an example of a combination pattern created in accordance with the random program shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a reproducing program to be executed in the sewing machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a random program to be executed in a sewing machine according to a second embodiment; and

FIG. 9 is a view showing an outer appearance of the sewing machine according to the example.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment

A sewing machine according to a first embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 9, a sewing machine 1 includes an operation panel 2 (input means, display means) having a display screen 21 which carries out a liquid crystal display, a cloth feed dog F (cloth feeding means) which feeds a cloth in a front and rear direction, and a needle bar NB which supports a needle N at a lower end thereof and is operable to move in a vertical direction and to oscillate in a right and left direction that is perpendicular to a cloth feeding direction interlockingly with a main shaft (not shown). The sewing machine 1 further includes an embroidering apparatus EB which is attachable and detachable, and is operable to hold and move the cloth in an X-Y direction by means of a pulse motor which is not shown.

A control structure of the sewing machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a main motor 3 (cloth feeding means) which rotates the main shaft, a main motor driving circuit 4 which drives the main motor 3, a needle oscillating motor 5 (needle oscillating means) which defines a needle oscillation amount of the needle bar NB, a needle oscillating motor driving circuit 6 which drives the needle oscillating motor 5, a cloth feeding amount motor (cloth feeding means) FP which defines a moving amount of the cloth feed dog F (a cloth feeding amount) in the front and rear direction, a cloth feeding amount motor driving circuit FPC which drives the cloth feeding amount motor FP, a nonvolatile memory 7 (sewing data storing means), and a control portion 8 which controls these components. The cloth feeding amount motor FP may directly move the feed dog F in the front and rear direction, and the needle oscillating motor 5 may directly oscillate the needle bar NB. The main motor 3, the main motor driving circuit 4, the needle oscillating motor 5 and the needle oscillating motor driving circuit 6 constitute sewing means for performing a sewing operation in the first embodiment.

The operation panel 2 is the input means in the first embodiment and may have a touch panel. Buttons indicating various instructions are displayed on the display screen 21 of the operation panel 2. FIG. 2 is an explanatory view illustrating an example of a display screen on which a plurality of sewing patterns to be formed by the cloth feeding means and the needle oscillating means is displayed. As shown in FIG. 2, selecting buttons 22 for selecting the sewing patterns for a sewing operation, edit buttons 23 for editing the selected sewing pattern (an enlarging/reducing button 24, a vertical inverting button 25 and a transverse inverting button 26), a switching button 27 for switching a sewing mode, a display column 28 in which a combination pattern is displayed, a start button 29 from which a sewing start instruction is input, a stop button 30 from which a sewing stop instruction is input, and a display switching button 31 for switching contents displayed in the display column 28, are displayed on the display screen 21.

The sewing mode includes a normal mode, a random mode and a reproducing mode. In the normal mode, a user can design a combination pattern by operating the selecting button 22 to select each sewing pattern. In the random mode, sewing patterns are automatically selected and a combination pattern is thus created. In the reproducing mode, a combination of the combination pattern created in the random mode is reproduced. These modes are switched by a repetitive touch on the switching button 27 and the display of the switching button 27 corresponds to a current mode. In FIG. 2, the switching button 27 in the random mode is displayed.

The control portion 8 includes a ROM 9 (pattern storing means), a RAM 10 and a CPU 11 (control means). Based on an instruction signal input from the operation panel 2, the CPU 11 reads control data and a control program in the ROM 9, and expands the control data and control program thus read into the RAM 10 and executes them, thereby controlling the main motor driving circuit 4 and the needle oscillating motor driving circuit 6.

The control data include pattern data on a plurality of sewing patterns. In the pattern data, data corresponding to a single stitch is constituted by a combination of a feeing amount by the feed dog in the front and rear direction and a needle oscillating amount in the right and left direction. As shown in FIG. 3, coordinates for each stitch number are set in the pattern data, and an end signal is set after coordinates of a final stitch number. At least, a value (x1) corresponding to the needle oscillating direction in coordinates (x1, y1) of a first stitch number (a stitch number of 1) and a value (xn) corresponding to the needle oscillating direction in coordinates (xn, yn) of a final stitch number (a stitch number of n) are set to have an equal value.

Also in each pattern data on the respective sewing patterns, the value (x1) which corresponding to the needle oscillating direction in the coordinates (x1, y1) of the first stitch number and the value (xn) corresponding to the needle oscillating direction in the coordinates (xn, yn) of the final stitch number are set to be an equal value. Therefore, in each of the sewing patterns, a reference line position where a sewing starts and a reference line position where the sewing ends substantially coincide with each other with respect to the needle oscillating direction along which the needle is oscillated in a sewing operation.

The control program includes a normal program for executing a normal mode, a random program for executing a random mode and a reproducing program for executing a reproducing mode.

The normal program carries out a sewing operation based on a sewing pattern that is selected in advance by a user. When a sewing pattern that is different from the previous sewing pattern is selected from the operation panel 2 by the user, the sewing operation is interrupted and is restarted based on the selected sewing pattern.

In the random program, a random number is created from, for example, a time of execution by well-known random number generating means (calculating means, frequency calculating means), and a subsequent sewing pattern is selected on the basis of the random number. Further, a repetitive frequency of the selected sewing pattern is selected, whereby sewing data corresponding to a predetermined length is previously created before the sewing operation. A combination of the sewing patterns created is stored in the nonvolatile memory 7, and is displayed on the display column 28 of the operation panel 2. In the first embodiment, the nonvolatile memory 7 is sewing data storing means (a third storing portion) and the operation panel 2 is display means.

A timing of switching the sewing pattern during the sewing operation is when a sewing operation based on a sewing pattern before the switching is completed. In other words, when a different sewing pattern from the previous sewing pattern is selected from the operation panel 2 in the normal mode, the CPU 11 continuously carries out the sewing operation until an end signal of the previous pattern data is detected and interrupts the sewing operation after the detection, and then restarts the sewing operation based on the selected sewing pattern. On the other hand, when an end signal of each pattern data is detected after starting the sewing operation based on the sewing data in the random mode, the CPU 11 reads pattern data on the subsequent sewing pattern and restarts the sewing operation.

The reproducing program causes the user to select the sewing data that is previously created in the random mode and stored in the nonvolatile memory 7, thereby executing the sewing operation based on the sewing data thus selected.

Next, a description will be given to a function of the sewing machine according to the first embodiment.

First of all, a description will be given to a function in the normal mode.

When the switching button 27 of the operation panel 2 is touched by the user and switched to the normal mode, the CPU 11 executes the normal program.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of the normal program. As shown in FIG. 4, in Step S1, the CPU 11 decides whether any of the selecting buttons 22 on the operation panel 2 is touched by the user or not. If any of the selecting buttons 22 is not touched, the processing stands by in that state. If any of the selecting buttons 22 is touched, the processing proceeds to Step S2.

In Step S2, the CPU 11 reads, from the ROM 9 (a first storing portion), pattern data corresponding to the selecting button 22 touched in Step S1.

In Step S3, the CPU 11 starts to control the main motor driving circuit 4 and the needle oscillating motor driving circuit 6 by touching the start button 29, thereby driving the main motor 3 and the needle oscillating motor 5 to execute a sewing operation of a connected pattern based on the pattern data that is read.

In Step S4, the CPU 11 decides whether a selecting button 22 corresponding to pattern data that is different from the pattern data in the sewing operation is touched or not. If the selecting button 22 is not touched, the CPU 11 continuously carries out the sewing operation. If the selecting button 22 is touched, the processing proceeds to Step S5. When an end signal of the pattern data is detected while the sewing operation is carried out continuously, the CPU 11 executes the sewing operation from a first stitch number of the same pattern data again. In other words, the sewing operation is repetitively carried out based on the same pattern data.

In Step S5, the CPU 11 controls the main motor driving circuit 4 and the needle oscillating motor driving circuit 6, thereby stopping the main motor 3 and the needle oscillating motor 5 to interrupt the sewing operation. In this case, it is preferable that the CPU 11 stop them after detecting the end signal of the pattern data in the sewing operation.

In Step S6, the CPU 11 reads, from the ROM 9, pattern data corresponding to the selecting button 22 touched in Step S4.

In Step S7, the main motor driving circuit 4 and the needle oscillating motor driving circuit 6 are controlled based on the pattern data read in Step S6, thereby driving the main motor 3 and the needle oscillating motor 5 to restart the sewing operation.

In Step S8, the CPU 11 decides whether the stop button 30 of the operation panel 2 is touched whereby a sewing stop instruction is input or not. If the sewing stop instruction is not input, the processing proceeds to Step S4. If the sewing stop instruction is input, the processing proceeds to Step S9.

In Step S9, the CPU 11 controls the main motor driving circuit 4 and the needle oscillating motor driving circuit 6, thereby stopping the main motor 3 and the needle oscillating motor 5 to end the sewing operation.

Consequently, a combination pattern designed by the user based on a plurality of sewing patterns is sewn.

Next, a description will be given to a function in the random mode.

FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of the random program. When the switching button 27 of the operation panel 2 is touched by the user and switched to the random mode, the CPU 11 executes the random program as shown in FIG. 5.

In Step S11, the CPU 11 creates random numbers for determining a sewing pattern or a repetitive frequency by random number generating means, for example, from a time of execution.

In Step S12, based on the random numbers created in Step S1, the CPU 11 sequentially selects subsequent sewing patterns and also selects a repetitive frequency of each of the sewing patterns thus selected. Then, the CPU 11 reads, from the ROM 9, pattern data corresponding to each of the selected sewing patterns, and causes each pattern data to correspond to the selected repetitive frequency of each of the sewing patterns, thereby creating sewing data corresponding to a predetermined length.

In Step S13, the CPU 11 stores the sewing data in the nonvolatile memory 7.

In Step S14, the CPU 11 controls the operation panel 2 to display a combination pattern based on the sewing data.

In Step S15, the CPU 11 decides whether the start button 29 of the operation panel 2 is touched whereby a sewing start instruction is input or not. If the sewing start instruction is not input, the processing proceeds to Step S11. If the sewing start instruction is input, the processing proceeds to Step S16.

In Step S16, the CPU 11 controls the main motor driving circuit 4 and the needle oscillating motor driving circuit 6 based on the sewing data, thereby driving the main motor 3 and the needle oscillating motor 5 to execute a sewing operation of the combination pattern.

In Step S17, the CPU 11 decides whether the stop button 30 of the operation panel 2 is touched whereby a sewing stop instruction is input or not. If the sewing stop instruction is not input, the sewing operation is continuously carried out. If the sewing stop instruction is input, the processing proceeds to Step S18.

In Step S18, the CPU 11 controls the main motor driving circuit 4 and the needle oscillating motor driving circuit 6, thereby stopping the main motor 3 and the needle oscillating motor 5 to end the sewing operation.

Consequently, a random combination pattern is sewn.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view illustrating an example of a combination pattern created in the random mode. Assuming that sewing patterns corresponding to the respective selecting buttons 22 are A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8 and A9 in order from the upper left selecting button 22 in FIG. 2, sewing patterns are selected in order of A1, A2, A5, . . . in FIG. 6. A repetitive frequency of each sewing pattern is determined to be n in a first sewing pattern A1, one in a second sewing pattern A2 and m in a third sewing pattern AS. As described above, the timing of switching the sewing pattern in the sewing operation is when the sewing operation based on the sewing pattern before the switching is completed. In the first embodiment, the value (x1) corresponding to the needle oscillating direction in the coordinates (x1, y1) of the first stitch number and the value (xn) for the needle oscillating direction in the coordinates (xn, yn) of the final stitch number in each sewing pattern are set to be zero. Therefore, the reference line positions where the sewing starts and ends coincide with each other with respect to the needle oscillating direction. The reference line position is not restricted to be zero, but a screen from which the reference line position is optionally changed may be provided so that the reference line positions of the randomly selected sewing patterns may be changed based on the changed value.

Finally, a description will be given to a function in the reproducing mode. When the switching button 27 of the operation panel 2 is touched by the user and switched to the reproducing mode, the CPU 11 executes a reproducing program.

FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of the reproducing program. As shown in FIG. 7, in Step S21, the CPU 11 decides whether any sewing data are stored in the nonvolatile memory 7 or not. If the sewing data are not stored, the processing proceeds to Step S22. If the sewing data are stored, the processing proceeds to Step S23.

In Step S22, the CPU 11 controls the operation panel 2 so as to display in the display column 28 that the sewing data are not stored, and ends the reproducing program.

In Step S23, the CPU 11 reads the sewing data in the nonvolatile memory 7 and controls the operation panel 2 so as to display a combination pattern in the display column 28 based on the sewing data thus read. When the display switching button 31 of the operation panel 2 is touched, the CPU 11 reads another sewing data in the nonvolatile memory 7 and displays a combination pattern in the display column 28 based on the other sewing data thus read.

In Step S24, the CPU 11 decides whether the start button 29 of the operation panel 2 is touched whereby a sewing start instruction is input or not. If the sewing start instruction is not input, the processing proceeds to Step S23. If the sewing start instruction is input, the processing proceeds to Step S25.

In Step S25, the CPU 11 controls the main motor driving circuit 4 and the needle oscillating motor driving circuit 6 based on sewing data corresponding to a combination pattern displayed in the display column 28 when the sewing start instruction is input, thereby driving the main motor 3 and the needle oscillating motor 5 to execute the sewing operation.

In Step S26, the CPU 11 decides whether the stop button 30 of the operation panel 2 is touched whereby a sewing stop instruction is input or not. If the sewing stop instruction is not input, the sewing operation is continuously carried out. If the sewing stop instruction is input, the processing proceeds to Step S27.

In Step S27, the CPU 11 controls the main motor driving circuit 4 and the needle oscillating motor driving circuit 6, thereby stopping the main motor 3 and the needle oscillating motor 5 to end the sewing operation.

Consequently, it is possible to reproduce the combination pattern that is previously created in the random mode.

According to the first embodiment, when the sewing start instruction is input, the pattern data on the sewing patterns in the ROM 9 are randomly combined to create the sewing data, and the sewing operation is executed while the sewing pattern is switched based on the sewing data. Accordingly, a combination pattern with a design that has no relation to an intention of a user is created. Consequently, it is possible to eliminate complicatedness that the user selects the sewing pattern. Furthermore, the design can be prevented from being monotonous.

The nonvolatile memory 7 stores the sewing data. Therefore, the sewing data can be saved, and the randomly created combination pattern can be reproduced.

The repetitive frequencies of the sewing patterns are also determined randomly. Therefore, it is possible to create more various combination patterns.

The combination pattern based on the sewing data is displayed on the operation panel 2. Therefore, the user can confirm the combination pattern before the sewing operation.

In each sewing pattern, the reference line positions where the sewing starts and the sewing ends coincide with each other with respect to the needle oscillating direction. Switching to the subsequent sewing patterns is carried out in the needle oscillating position where the sewing ends. Therefore, the boundaries of the sewing patterns are smoothly connected to each other. Accordingly, it is possible to create a combination pattern having a good appearance.

Second Embodiment

In the random mode according to the first embodiment, the description has been given with reference to the case in which the sewing data is previously created before the sewing operation so that the random combination pattern is created. In a second embodiment, a description will be given with reference to a case in which a random combination pattern is created while pattern data are randomly selected during the sewing operation. In the second embodiment, the same portions as those in the first embodiment have the same reference numerals and an explanation thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of a random program to be executed by the sewing machine 1 according to the second embodiment. When a switching button 27 of an operation panel 2 is touched by a user and switched to the random mode, a CPU 11 executes the random program.

As shown in FIG. 8, in Step S31, the CPU 11 decides whether any of selecting buttons 22 on the operation panel 2 is touched by the user or not. If any of the selecting buttons 22 is not touched, the processing stands by in that state. If any of the selecting buttons 22 is touched, the processing proceeds to Step S32.

In Step S32, the CPU 11 reads, from an ROM 9, pattern data corresponding to the selecting button 22 touched in Step S31.

In Step S33, the CPU 11 controls a main motor driving circuit 4 and a needle oscillating motor driving circuit 6 based on the pattern data thus read, thereby driving a main motor 3 and a needle oscillating motor 5 to execute a sewing operation. In this case, a repetitive frequency is one.

In Step S34, when an end signal in the pattern data is detected at the last time of the repetitive frequency during the sewing operation, the CPU 11 controls the main motor driving circuit 4 and the needle oscillating motor driving circuit 6, thereby stopping the main motor 3 and the needle oscillating motor 5 to interrupt the sewing operation.

In Step S35, the CPU 11 creates a random number by random number generating means (calculating means, frequency calculating means), for example, from a time of the interruption.

In Step S36, based on the random number created in Step S35, the CPU 11 selects a next sewing pattern and also selects a repetitive frequency of the sewing pattern thus selected.

In Step S37, the CPU 11 reads, from the ROM 9, pattern data corresponding to the next sewing pattern that is selected, and controls the main motor driving circuit 4 and the needle oscillating motor driving circuit 6 based on the read pattern data and the repetitive frequency selected in Step S36, thereby driving the main motor 3 and the needle oscillating motor 5 to restart the sewing operation.

In Step S38, the CPU 11 decides whether a stop button 30 of the operation panel 2 is touched whereby a sewing stop instruction is input or not. If the sewing stop instruction is not input, the processing proceeds to Step S34. If the sewing stop instruction is input, the processing proceeds to Step S39.

In Step S39, the CPU 11 controls the main motor driving circuit 4 and the needle oscillating motor driving circuit 6, thereby stopping the main motor 3 and the needle oscillating motor 5 to end the sewing operation.

Consequently, a combination pattern designed by the user based on a plurality of sewing patterns is sewn.

According to the second embodiment, when a sewing start instruction is input, the CPU 11 randomly reads one pattern data from the plurality of pattern data on the sewing patterns in the ROM 9 at predetermined timings. Based on the pattern data thus read, the sewing operation is executed. Thus, the sewing operation is executed while the sewing pattern is switched. Therefore, a combination pattern with a design that has no relation to an intention of a user is created. Consequently, it is possible to eliminate complicatedness that the user selects the sewing pattern. Furthermore, the design can be prevented from being monotonous.

In the above embodiments, the description has been given with reference to the cases where a plurality of sewing patterns is preset. However, for example, the user may optionally select a plurality of patterns from the sewing patterns stored in the sewing machine, and may store them in the RAM 10 (a second storing portion), whereby pattern data may be randomly generated within a range of the selected number of patterns when carrying out the sewing operation.

Moreover, the user may optionally set a length of the random combination pattern (including the number of the sewing patterns in total) and/or a repetitive frequency. In this way, it is possible to create a random combination pattern that is close to what is expected by the user.

Although the user only selects the first sewing pattern in the second embodiment, the first sewing pattern may be also selected randomly.

Furthermore, in the above embodiments, although the reference line position of the sewing pattern with respect to the needle oscillating direction can be fixed or optionally set, it is not limited thereto, but the sewing patterns may be divided into a middle reference line group, a left reference line group and a right reference line group and may be randomly selected within a desired group.

While the invention has been described in detail with reference to specific embodiments, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A sewing machine comprising: sewing means having cloth feeding means for feeding a cloth in a front and rear direction and needle oscillating means for oscillating a needle in a right and left direction; driving means for separately driving the cloth feeding means and the needle oscillating means; pattern storing means for storing a plurality of pattern data on sewing patterns to be formed by the sewing means; and control means including calculating means for randomly combining the plurality of pattern data stored in the pattern storing means to create sewing data, wherein the control means controls the driving means based on the sewing data.
 2. The sewing machine according to claim 1, wherein the pattern storing means comprises: a first storing portion in which the plurality of pattern data is stored in advance; and a second storing portion in which a plurality of pattern data selected from the first storing means is stored, wherein the calculating means randomly combines the plurality of pattern data stored in the second storing portion to create the sewing data.
 3. The sewing machine according to claim 1, wherein the calculating means determines the combination of the plurality of pattern data through a random number calculation.
 4. The sewing machine according to claim 2, wherein the calculating means determines the combination of the plurality of pattern data through a random number calculation.
 5. The sewing machine according to claim 1, wherein the control means further includes frequency calculating means for randomly determining repetitive frequencies of the respective sewing patterns, each sewing pattern corresponding to the respective pattern data combined by the calculating means.
 6. The sewing machine according to claim 2, wherein the control means further includes frequency calculating means for randomly determining repetitive frequencies of the respective sewing patterns, each sewing pattern corresponding to the respective pattern data combined by the calculating means.
 7. The sewing machine according to claim 3, wherein the control means further includes frequency calculating means for randomly determining repetitive frequencies of the respective sewing patterns, each sewing pattern corresponding to the respective pattern data combined by the calculating means.
 8. The sewing machine according to claim 4, wherein the control means further includes frequency calculating means for randomly determining repetitive frequencies of the respective sewing patterns, each sewing pattern corresponding to the respective pattern data combined by the calculating means.
 9. The sewing machine according to claim 5, wherein the frequency calculating means determines the repetitive frequencies of the respective sewing patterns through a random number calculation.
 10. The sewing machine according to claim 6, wherein the frequency calculating means determines the repetitive frequencies of the respective sewing patterns through a random number calculation.
 11. The sewing machine according to claim 7, wherein the frequency calculating means determines the repetitive frequencies of the respective sewing patterns through a random number calculation.
 12. The sewing machine according to claim 8, wherein the frequency calculating means determines the repetitive frequencies of the respective sewing patterns through a random number calculation.
 13. The sewing machine according to claim 1, wherein a reference line position where a sewing starts and a reference line position where the sewing ends substantially coincide with each other with respect to a needle oscillating direction in each of the sewing patterns, and the control means controls the driving means such that the sewing pattern is switched to the subsequent sewing pattern at the reference line position where the sewing ends.
 14. The sewing machine according to claim 2, wherein a reference line position where a sewing starts and a reference line position where the sewing ends substantially coincide with each other with respect to a needle oscillating direction in each of the sewing patterns, and the control means controls the driving means such that the sewing pattern is switched to the subsequent sewing pattern at the reference line position where the sewing ends.
 15. The sewing machine according to claim 3, wherein a reference line position where a sewing starts and a reference line position where the sewing ends substantially coincide with each other with respect to a needle oscillating direction in each of the sewing patterns, and the control means controls the driving means such that the sewing pattern is switched to the subsequent sewing pattern at the reference line position where the sewing ends.
 16. The sewing machine according to claim 4, wherein a reference line position where a sewing starts and a reference line position where the sewing ends substantially coincide with each other with respect to a needle oscillating direction in each of the sewing patterns, and the control means controls the driving means such that the sewing pattern is switched to the subsequent sewing pattern at the reference line position where the sewing ends.
 17. The sewing machine according to claim 5, wherein a reference line position where a sewing starts and a reference line position where the sewing ends substantially coincide with each other with respect to a needle oscillating direction in each of the sewing patterns, and the control means controls the driving means such that the sewing pattern is switched to the subsequent sewing pattern at the reference line position where the sewing ends.
 18. The sewing machine according to claim 6, wherein a reference line position where a sewing starts and a reference line position where the sewing ends substantially coincide with each other with respect to a needle oscillating direction in each of the sewing patterns, and the control means controls the driving means such that the sewing pattern is switched to the subsequent sewing pattern at the reference line position where the sewing ends.
 19. The sewing machine according to claim 9, wherein a reference line position where a sewing starts and a reference line position where the sewing ends substantially coincide with each other with respect to a needle oscillating direction in each of the sewing patterns, and the control means controls the driving means such that the sewing pattern is switched to the subsequent sewing pattern at the reference line position where the sewing ends.
 20. The sewing machine according to claim 10, wherein a reference line position where a sewing starts and a reference line position where the sewing ends substantially coincide with each other with respect to a needle oscillating direction in each of the sewing patterns, and the control means controls the driving means such that the sewing pattern is switched to the subsequent sewing pattern at the reference line position where the sewing ends.
 21. A sewing machine comprising: a feed dog which feeds a cloth in a front and rear direction; a needle bar which holds a needle and is operable to oscillate in a right and left direction; a main motor which drives; a first driving circuit which is operable to drive the feed dog; a second driving circuit which is operable to drive the needle bar; a memory which stores a plurality of pattern data on sewing patterns to be formed by the feed dog and the needle bar; and a control unit which is operable to randomly combine the plurality of pattern data stored in the memory to create sewing data, wherein the control unit controls the first driving circuit the second driving circuit based on the sewing data. 